Binghamton seminar focuses on land law, gas rush

Aug. 16, 2010

Written by

BINGHAMTON -- About 60 people are expected to attend a seminar Wednesday about New York land law and how it relates to the Marcellus Shale and the Southern Tier natural gas rush, according to the company hosting the event.

The seminar is set to run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Arena on Hawley Street. Fifty-six people have already registered, and a promoter said she expects a few walk-ups on Wednesday.

"The purpose for this program is for continuing education for the professionals, such as attorneys, engineers, surveyors, landmen, and title personnel," said Marcia Mason, a program planner for Wisconsin-based HalfMoon Seminars. "It is a very current issue, so I know it generates a lot of interest."

Five attorneys will lead four separate sessions during the seminar, each split up to discuss a different part of pertinent land laws.

Richard Gerard, an Elmira attorney specializing in gas leases, will discuss how to obtain and transfer titles to land and mineral rights in the Marcellus Shale region.

"My topic is mineral rights, and it's a fairly broad topic," Gerard said. "I'll cover how to acquire them, how to obtain them by selling property, how to transfer them, and the pitfalls that exist in trying to transfer them."

Other topics to be discussed include negotiating and interpreting gas leases, environmental issues in gas development, and understanding land use and other regulatory issues.

HalfMoon has already held a similar seminar in Harrisburg focusing on Pennsylvania's land laws, and will hold another one in Pittsburgh on Nov. 9.

The fee for participants is $259 for one person, or $239 each for groups of three or more from the same company.